102 THE NAVY GCEANOGRAPHIC OPERATIONS PROGRAM 



economical redistribution pattern among the oceanographic 

 distribution depots throughout the world. 



LITHOGRAPHIC REPRODUCTION 



Lithographic reproduction is no stranger to the Naval Oceano- 

 graphic Office, having been introduced in 1835, and updated in 

 1885 when a printing press used to print "Notice to Mariners", 

 and other urgent nautical information, was installed. In 1912, a 

 press was installed which used zinc metal plates, incorporating 

 chart images which were photographically transferred and 

 affixed to the plate, h^nce the term "photolithographic plate". 

 This press was then utilized to print multi-color charts. 



Over the years, the Oceanographic Office has expanded its 

 lithographic printing capabilities to where full-time use is now 

 required of three single-color and five two-color high speed 

 precision offset printing presses. A comparison of the capacity 



Printing plant required to produce the oceanographic charts of the Navy. 



